1. STARTING STRONG

Born in Fort Myers, Fla., Mindy McCready began singing at age 3 and soon set her sights on Nashville, releasing her debut country album, Ten Thousand Angels, in 1996. The disc sold 2 million copies and spawned the No. 1 single "Guys Do It All the Time." A year later, McCready's personal life also picked up with her engagement to Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman star Dean Cain. The fast and furious romance quickly fizzled in 1998. "They rushed into things," a source said.